Crisis At the Southern Border

Floor Speech

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Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, there is a lot I could say, but I want to point out a couple of things.

Right now, the Border Patrol has detention facilities that are designed to hold 4,000 people but are holding 19,000 people. ICE has facilities to hold 45,000 people, but it is holding 52,000 people.

We are releasing people regularly into communities and throughout this country. Mr. Speaker, ICE alone has released over 200,000 family units into the country this year.

In Yuma, Arizona, a facility designed for 250 people is currently housing 1,100 people.

It is going to be 110 degrees tomorrow. Most of those people are being held outside under awnings with a large swamp cooler to cool them. That will work okay. It will be livable. It will be uncomfortable, but livable. But in about 3 or 4 weeks, when it is 115, 120 degrees and the humidity is out of this world, those swamp coolers will not work.

Mr. Speaker, I am asking and going to make a motion to adjourn because our colleagues refuse to bring a supplement that would pay for humanitarian and detention facilities.

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